GRIT 21 DAY CHALLENGE: Approaching the Eating Plan

Hey challengers and my usual lovely readers! If you’re currently experience sore muscles, constant sweatiness and your exhausted- I’m guessing your deep into the challenge. Have you set your goals yet? I hope you’re well on your way too smashing them!

Anyways, we all know that exercise and moving your body is important for good health, weight loss and being happy! But exercise is only half of it. There’s also this other issue called food. Often we have the best intentions when approaching a new exercise plan or regime, only to forget about our diet (diet as in our eating habits- not those stupid fad diets!). Or possibly you are totally clueless about the ‘right’ and ‘wrongs’, or ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods. But before we get into any of that let me get one thing straight- there’s no such thing as good or bad foods, I absolutely hate labels and I’ll try my hardest to avoid using them. Instead of labelling the food just see the different food choices as things your body needs and things your body wants. Never deny yourself something, because that’s a recipe for disaster (trust me) and try to listen to how your body responds to the food you feed it. You’ll notice it runs better on all the right stuff anyways. Okay, rant ended. Let’s talk about the meal plan!

Now, if you’re following the meal plan at the moment there is going to be a huge variety of responses from each persons’ body depending on the individual. But I’ll bet that it’s loving all the protein, vegetables, healthy fats and water you’re giving it. To be perfectly honest when I first found out about the meal plan that came with the challenge I was immediately put off by the thought of it. Then I realised I can still do the challenge without the meal plan, considering I eat extremely healthy (whilst practising balance and moderation) anyways.

My reasons for not following the meal plan are simple. In my past I’ve had terrible relationships with food. First a deprivation and underuse, all the way to an abuse and coping mechanism. I’m finally in a great place with food and I didn’t want to burden that by placing restrictions and rules on myself. Some of you may be thinking to yourselves- well just substitute the food for what you want or switch it up. Without getting into it too much, I’m afraid it may not be that easy for me and I’m not willing to take that risk and fall back into bad habits. However, this does not mean that the meal plan is in my bin, no sir-ee. Whilst, I won’t be following the meal plan per-se I’m definitely open to trying out the recipes and the ‘recommendations’ it offers (everything actually looks so good and like realistic food!).

This meal plan is great in that it offers suggestions not just for your three main meals but for morning and afternoon snacks. This is a huge issue many ‘dieters’ (diets don’t work!) face. Often they under-eat and this is actually a huge hindrance to weight loss and weight maintenance in the future. The plan has laid out 5 separate meal suggestions, which will make sure you never go hungry (reduces cravings and binges) and so that you’ll have enough energy to continue those Grit Strength classes, as well as any other fitness classes you do (which is Body Step right?!).

If you want to get the best results (whatever they may be) possible from this challenge then it is probably best to follow the meal plan. However, that’s not to say that your own healthy eating won’t also ensure you get rockin’ results. My daily lifestyle and diet hasn’t been altered all that much, apart from throwing a few extra Grit classes in as often as I can. So if you’re wanting to eat healthy but not follow the meal plan to a T, here are my suggestions. You’ll also notice that many of them are evident in the eating plan also!

Drink lots of water! I am a h20 drinker only and find that liquid calories, so to speak, aren’t worth it. I’d rather an orange than orange juice! Plus if I want to have copious teaspoons of sugar, I won’t be drinking it in a soft drink- it’d be on something way more decadent and delicious.

Stock up on the vegetables & fruit! The meal plan says non-starchy vegetables, so it excludes potatoes and sweet potato etc which I think is ludicrous personally. However, that will help with weight loss…for the 3 weeks that is- what happen after? mmm. Plus I think having some natural sweetness from the fruit helps get hit those sweet cravings without all that other junk.

Have plenty of healthy fats- avocado, nut butters, unsalted nuts, olive oil etc. They may be calorie dense but they are necessary for normal body function. Plus getting some extra calories would be good, considering how many you burn off with everyday living, bodily functions and exercise!

Eat enough protein. I prefer lean proteins like chicken and turkey, but also enjoy tofu, eggs and tuna! I’m also not one to turn down some good red meat. These yummy foods will keep you fuller for longer and help build that lean muscle we are all after.

Eat wholegrains. This is where the plan and I disagree- I’ve found that since incorporating more wholegrains foods (wholegrain breads, brown rice, brown pasta etc) into my daily diet my cravings have dropped heaps! I also exercise way too much for my own good it would seem (haha!) so if you’re regularly slogging it at the gyms it’s really important to get in enough carbs!

Low fat dairy. They’ve made dairy products a food to avoid and here I am shaking my head. I’ve never been a huge dairy girl but I love me some 0% chobani, trim milk and occasionally low fat cheese.

And my NUMBER 1 TIP for any eating plan whatsoever- BALANCE & MODERATION. It is in bold and capital letters for a reason people!

Can you live the rest of your life without bread? Or without chocolate?! (Yes, it’s okay to have those kinds of food. Make sure when you do you enjoy it and don’t guilt trip yourself- or you’ll be in for an endless cycle). Well, why cut it out for 3 weeks only to start eating it again as soon as the challenge ends? I think in some aspects cutting out food groups could work if you were preparing for your wedding, a shoot or a big event. But that’s only temporary and would be a something you only do whilst you’re working up to the day. But really, if you want to live healthy for the rest of your life and stay at a healthy weight then making your diet and exercise choices a lifestyle is necessary! This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change, so choose something that is sustainable. However, if you need extra motivation coming into this challenge maybe this meal plan is the perfect thing to get you into the zone for your healthy weight loss!

Everyone is different and I am by no way telling you the best thing to do for your body. You know what your body needs- just make sure you listen hard enough. I am also not a professional. But what I am is someone who has found peace, happiness and harmony with my healthy lifestyle (food + exercise), whilst enjoying all the good things life has to offer.

Are you following the meal plan? What is your favourite meal on the plan?

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Yay! Well thank you for reading it. It’s definitely not necessary to follow, as long as you’re eating healthy that is more than enough. Good luck with the challenge, and maybe I’ll see you in a class soon

So….1 week in with the challenge, I have stuck to the eating plan (mostly), done 2 grit classes, I am now finding the thought of eating more vegetable/salad very unappealing, not sure how the next 2 weeks are going to go. Need more variety, miss carbs and fruit.

Wow, great job sticking to the eating plan! And doing those classes Oh no, see that’s a shame. I think that’s part of the problem with these eating plans- they end up making people ‘despise’ eating this delicious, nutritious food. It’s really up to you- if your goal is to stick with this eating plan then more power to you, but if you want to just eat healthy I think it’s okay to incorporate some wholegrains and fruit. Email or comment me if you need any help with this. And good luck!

I have mixed feelings about the eating plan…..when i first looked at it, I wasn’t too happy about ditching fruit for 3 weeks, I mean I LOVE fruit. Everything else was good except trying to cook/prep 5 meals a day, which is too much for me and the thought of pulling out a carrot or celery stick to ‘snack’ on was just depressing…lol! So i’ve been sticking to 3-4 meals a day, using half of the suggested recipes & meal ideas & drinking lots more water. I managed to stay away from fruit 98% of the time (had to have an apple today) but i’m considering adding a serve of fruit for my snacks for the next 2 weeks.

The first week being a bit of a ‘carb detox’ drained me of energy but now I feel lighter & have more energy so looks like i’m going to push myself a bit more this week with the exercise, of course, making sure I don’t over do it. But thus far i’ve completed 3 GRIT classes and am loving the challenge & changes.
It’s also encouraging & helpful to read your thoughts & experiences with this challenge. Thanks Bek

Thanks for sharing- that’s fantastic. I think it’s great that you can change up the plan to suit your life- I mean you know yourself and your body better than anyone and you know what’ll work for you. I’m also glad you saw the recipes and meal ideas as suggestions and just pick and chose as you please

Oh wow that’s great! Personally, I need my carbs with all my exercise and group fitness instructing I do, but I make sure I stick to wholegrains If you’re not someone who is overly big on carbs than that’s great that you have eliminated them- if you start to crave everything you see I’d start adding in some wholegrain carbs, it did wonders for me a while back. Plus, don’t feel bad for eating them- we know where that will lead.

Great job! You’re just about half way there, and we have just under 2 weeks to go! Can’t wait to hear how you went at the end of this challenge.

Aw, thank you very much- feel free to ‘follow’ the blog by entering your email info on the right hand side and you’ll get to hear about my other obscure thoughts and experiences I go through. Look forward to sweating it out at the gym with you!

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Behind The Blog

My name is Bek and welcome to my little space on the internet known as Crave. Here I talk about food, cooking, baking & recipes, fitness & exercise and more serious stuff like eating disorders and issues. Feel free to contact me by entering your details in the contact form at the bottom of the sidebar- I love to chat! Or email me at bekatcrave@gmail.com

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